Domonique Brown, the creator of DomoINK, is leading by example on how to work smarter, not harder.
In just about two years, the 29-year-old has doubled her previous income by following her passion for creating art.
“At the start of the pandemic, I was putting in 80-hour workweeks for two full-time marketing jobs,” Brown told CNBC. “I earned a combined salary of $129,000 a year.”
She continued: “But a part of me felt something was missing. I always had a passion for making art, and I wanted time to pursue it. So in April 2020, I quit one of my jobs to start a side hustle. I wanted to see if I could really make it as an artist.”
And Brown has done just that. Now, she claims to generate up to $267,000 from DomoINK, which she works on for less than two hours a day.
The six figures come through Etsy sales, her website, Society6 shops, and retail stores such as Target and HomeGoods — bringing in about $22,000 a month.
Currently, the artist uses her original artwork for wall art, home decor, and apparel. Brown has collaborated with the likes of Disney, Samsung, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Brown says the majority of her collaborations come from her organic reach of posting on social media.
One of Brown’s collaborations in particular followed after a viral TikTok of her drawing a colored portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.
@domoink Happy MLK Day ✊🏾❤️ #mlkday #equality #blacktiktok #civilrights #mlk #martinlutherking #martinlutherkingjr #crayons #art #blackart #artist #blackartistsoftiktok ♬ Alright – Kendrick Lamar
The video caught the attention of Bleacher Report to draw UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis in the same style.
In addition to running DomoINK, Brown earns $87,000 and a bonus a year from working from home as a marketing manager.
Although it’s been a challenging journey to start and run her business, Brown believes it has been more than worth it. The inspiration for DomoINK came from her not seeing much Black representation in artwork and home decor.
“My ultimate goal is to make DomoINK a lifestyle retailer that can be a source of representation for those who are underrepresented,” she shared with the outlet. “The feedback I have gotten from people who feel seen by my work has been incredibly gratifying, and it inspires me to grow my business even more.”
For the near future, Brown dreams to make $500,000 a year from DomoINK. Additionally, she aims to make her way into NFTs.
